Noam Chomsky once remarked, “Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state” (On Propaganda). In his novel 1984, George Orwell also explores the use of propaganda as a means of control of citizens by a totalitarian government, as well as other forms of authority and command. As it was written near the end of Stalin’s rule over modern day Russia, the plot of 1984 and Stalin’s regime share many similarities. These similarities can be distinctly seen through the telling of the main character of the novel’s experiences as an oppressed citizen in a hypothetical totalitarian nation. Stalin’s use of propaganda and heavily controlled media as well as the removal and surveillance of possible dissenters were some of the main …show more content…
points reflected in the comparable plot of 1984. First, Stalin’s use of heavily controlled media and propaganda were very similar to the methods used by the totalitarian government in 1984.
Just as the Party and Big Brother did throughout Oceania, Joseph Stalin and the his government controlled all media, dictating what was accessible for citizens to see. “The people of Russia had to read what the state allowed, see what the state allowed and listen to what the state allowed. The state’s control of the media was total” (Trueman). Specifically, a major form of government-produced mass media shown throughout both 1984 and Stalin’s ruling was propaganda. Stalin was “pictured in many propaganda posters as a well put together, kind looking, yet still serious man” as well as being shown next to symbols like the hammer and sickle, showing “association with the ruling, influential Communist party” (“Propaganda Posters”). The Communist party, just as the Party from 1984, heavily controlled what media was distributed, and used propaganda to keep citizens in check and promote their leader and his …show more content…
ideals. In addition, the hypothetical Party of 1984 resembled Stalin’s regime in that both parties frequently imprisoned and/or murdered possible dissenters, along with encouraging surveillance among citizens.
There was zero tolerance for opposition, and Stalin went as far as to get rid of anybody who had the slightest possibility of being a dissenter. Throughout Stalin’s regime, “millions of Russians were deemed to be opponents of Stalin's regime and dispatched to labor camps, exiled to remote settlements or executed” (“‘Whisperers’ of Stalin’s Russia Find Their Voice”). Some even dressed well, in suits and dresses, in expectation of being taken by Stalin’s secret police. Furthermore, Stalin encouraged spying between neighbors, “urging families to report on each other in communal living spaces” (“‘Whisperers’ of Stalin’s Russia Find Their Voice”) and tell of any possible opposition or dissent. Almost always, reports from citizens were believed to be true, and hardly any evidence was needed to incriminate someone as a political criminal. “The secret police actively encouraged people to inform on neighbours, work mates etc. and many suffered simply as a result of jealous neighbours/workers” (Trueman). Stalin and Big Brother both had no tolerance for dissent, and went to extreme measures to eradicate all opposition, including encouraging citizens to incriminate each other to help rid the nation of rebellious
activity. Noam Chomsky’s belief of propaganda’s ability to destroy democracy and maintain control can be plainly seen throughout the novel 1984 and the history of Stalin’s regime, along with other means of becoming the sole political power in a nation. In the realization that both Big Brother and Stalin used censored media and propaganda to limit, control, and suppress citizens, as well as arresting and encouraging surveillance among civilians in order to eradicate all opposition, the importance of recognizing these methods becomes clear. These clues point to the early stages of a totalitarian government, which is necessary for a nation to stop before total control is placed in the hands of the government, and heinous acts such as those of Stalin are committed against the people of the nation. Through the study of Stalin’s methods during his rule, the reality of the situation presented in 1984 is shown, an important tool in the prevention of future totalitarian governments.
Joseph Stalin controlled everything that happened in the USSR, including the media and According to, “Life In the USSR under Stalin: The people of Russia had to read what the state allowed, see what the state allowed and listen to what the state allowed. The state’s control of the media was complete. Those who attempted to listen, read etc. anything else were severely punished. Everybody knew of the labor camps and that was enough of a deterrent.” Again the fight between the government and the individual, the individual lost again. Joseph Stalin was responsible for taking advantage of millions of people in his own country in which he ruled in, by using media that only he allowed to be listened, read, or seen. He uses propaganda in these types of media, and does not want people to recognize it from outside forces. Joseph Stalin was responsible for brainwashing people to listen to appropriate media in order for him to rule in terror. Joseph Stalin ran a government of total dominance that even controlled the media.
George Orwell’s haunting dystopian novel 1984 delves into the closely monitored lives of the citizens of Oceania as the Party tries to take control of society. In totalitarianism, propaganda and terrorism are ways of subjugation with a main goal: total obedience. He aimed to create a “what if” novel, what would happen if totalitarian regimes, such as the Nazis and Soviets, were to take over the world. If totalitarianism were to happen, the leader would be the brain of the whole system. Orwell emphasizes the theme of individualism versus collective identity through Winston, the protagonist, and his defiance to the Party and Big Brother, with a frightening tone, surreal imagery and a third person limited point of view.
Joseph Stalin, a cunning and power- hungry man, used the misleading tool of propaganda, to promote and publicize his image, as well his
Through the use of the telescreens, they are able to “spy” on people and get inside their minds in order to see what they are doing, acting, and thinking, and manipulate them. In Stalin’s regime, the use of “posters”, newspapers, and spies forced society to act and behave in a certain way. The posters convey a sense of trust while the newspaper serves as a source of a manipulative acceptance to the regimes actions. It is important to remember that in each case, the use of language plays a key ingredient in being able to convince and manipulate the way people act, think, and execute. Works Cited Basgen, Brian.
In George Orwell’s dystopian novel, the government blocks almost all forms of self-expression in order to assert its authority over the people. Those within the society who show signs of defiance against the set rules, even those who act unwillingly, are seen as a threat to the success of the regime are wiped from existence. In Orwell’s 1984, the government uses different forms of propaganda and brainwashing to achieve complete control of society for their own personal benefit.
Though it existed for over 70 years, many of the Soviet Union’s structures were put in place before and during Stalin’s reign. Milovan Djilas succinctly summarized the general Soviet system in his book, The New Class when he wrote “There is no fundamental difference in the Communist system between governmental services and party organizations, as in the example of the party and the secret police. The party and the police mingle very closely…the difference between them is only in the distribution of work” (Djilas, pg 73). The system Djilas described was one where the Bolshevik party was in absolute control of the government and all its functions. This included the bureaucracy, and secret police, as well as the military. As a result, the Bolshevik party was in total control of all the Soviet Union’s levers of power. It was effectively an autocracy of the Communist party, at the head of which rested Joseph Stalin, whose power was absolute and as close to god-like, as anyone had ever had. Nikita Khrushchev testified to Stalin’s autocratic power in his book, Khrushchev Remembers, when he wrote, “Stalin adapted all methods of indoctrination to his own purposes. He demanded unthinking obedience and unquestioning faith” (Khrushchev, pg 8). Khrushchev was undoubtedly politically biased against Stalin, but his statement seems to be in line with the latter’s record of achievements. The purges of
This essay investigates to what extent Josef Stalin’s personal and political worldviews shape and reflect his application of Communism. By examining the people that surrounded Stalin at a young age, the places where he grew up and went to school, the ideas that he latched on to, and the people and theories he believed in, his basic personality can be determined. Through the investigation of his political career, Stalin’s most fundamental political views can be assessed. All of these figures are significant in discovering in what ways Stalin applied Communism in Soviet Russia.
When most people hear the name Joseph Stalin, they usually associate the name with a man who was part of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and was responsible for the deaths of millions of people. He was willingly to do anything to improve the power of the Soviet Union’s economy and military, even if it meant executing tens of millions of innocent people (Frankforter, A. Daniel., and W. M. Spellman 655). In chapter three of Sheila Fitzpatrick’s book, Everyday Stalinism, she argues that since citizens believed the propaganda of “a radiant future” (67), they were able to be manipulated by the Party in the transformation of the Soviet Union. This allowed the Soviet government to expand its power, which ultimately was very disastrous for the people.
Take a second to think about the word propaganda. What comes to mind? Do events such as World War II or The Cold War? According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, propaganda is a noun which means “the systematic propagation of a doctrine or cause or of information reflecting the views and interests of those advocating such a doctrine or cause.” In other words, propaganda, in this particular definition, is viewed as the deliberate transmission of an idea or document that a group of people believe in. This definition suits the description of propaganda in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. The Inner Party is pushing the concept of “Big Brother,” the ultimate leader. But words can have multiple meanings and can leave room for interpretation. In an alternate definition, from The Analysis of Propaganda by W. Hummell and K. Huntress, propaganda is defined in a different manner:
[1]George Orwell was completely against totalitarianism, "He was fighting Franco's insurgents in Spain as a member of a left-wing, but non-Stalinist militia" (BBC.com "Orwell's Road to Dystopia"). [2]Then later in his life he wrote the dystopian novel 1984. [3]George Orwell wrote the novel 1984 to criticize the new trend of totalitarianism that was rising up; which, in his time period, would have been Hitler's reign and then Stalin's rise. In his letter he wrote, "I must say I believe. Hitler, no doubt, will soon disappear, but only at the expense of strengthening (a) Stalin, (b) the Anglo-American millionaires and (c) all sorts of petty führers of the type of de Gaulle."
Manipulation can be executed in many different ways, but there is a difference between a stretch of the truth and a full re-writing of the past. Both men, Stalin and Big Brother, are guilty of altering the course of history. Stalin used propaganda and falsified data for his own self improvement to change books, films, and the learning material provided to children for their education. Big Brother also changed the course of history, but to a far more drastic extent. Big Brother created an entire ministry solely devoted to transforming old information into new information making Big Brother appear to the public as an astonishing leader of men. The Ministry of Truth focuses on altering books, articles, pictures, as well as creating fake stories
George Orwell’s intent in the novel 1984 is to warn society about the results of a controlling and manipulative government by employing mood, conflict, and imagery.
“"Propaganda is as powerful as heroin, it surreptitiously dissolves all capacity to think” by Gil Courtemanche connects to the sad fact of using propaganda as a deadly weapon to feed people with false information and stop them from thinking. George Orwell’s novel, 1984, describes a totalitarian dystopian society where the Party is constantly brainwashing its citizens with information that is beneficial to its own rights. On the opposite side, people are working for the party just like dominated slaves for their masters without knowing what’s going on. But, in order for the party to achieve this goal, they have to use different techniques of propaganda in Oceania to create fear for people so that they can obey the rules. The use of propaganda in the society of 1984 takes away freedom from individuals because of the absence of privacy, thinking and making decisions.
The year 1984 has long passed, but the novel still illustrates a possibility for the future of society. It still remains a powerful influence in all sorts of literature, music, and social theory. George Orwell envisioned a nightmarish utopia that could have very easily become a possibility in 1949 ? the year the novel was written. He managed to create such a realistic view of humanity?s future, that this story has been deemed timeless. There will always be the threat of totalitarianism, and at some moments civilization is only a step away from it. Orwell hated the thought of it, and 1984 shows that. From his work, readers who live in prevailing democratic society have a chance to consider about these very different political systems, democracy and totalitarianism.
George Orwell is considered to be one of the most creative and expressive political writers of the twentieth century, particularly for his views opposing communism and totalitarian regimes famously expressed in his novel, 1984. Orwell perceived communism as, “A new, dangerous form of totalitarianism, a powerful tool for controlling the masses.” Orwell’s hatred towards communism began with communist leader, Joseph Stalin whom he referred to as, “a bloody-minded master” (Rossi 1). Orwell’s views solidified during his participation in the Spanish Civil War; throughout his experience, Orwell was subject to communist propaganda, which led to his distrust of authority and established hatred of fascist and communist governments (Rossi 2). Orwell’s views, along with his participation ...